Car-coupling



No. 624,707. A Patnteu may 9, |899.

cAn couPLma, f

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

@l r E mum V IINTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES TIMMS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,707, dated May 9, 1899.

Application filed August 17, 1898. Serial N- 683,8,30. (No modal.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES TIMMS, of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings; and it consists in the parts and combinations of parts, `as will be more Y fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Y on the line 2 2 of Fig. t looking down.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in horizontal section of a coupling embodying my invention. Fig, 2 is a vertical sectional view on the lines l 1 of Fig. 1 looking to the front. Fig. 3'is a view in perspective of the knuckle and locking pin and block. Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the pin and block. Fig. 5 is a view in cross-section Fig. 6 is a view in section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4 looking up.

A represents the draw-bar of the coupling; B, the draw-head; C, the guard-arm, and D the knuckle pivoted to the head by the pin D'. rl`he inner end or tongue D2 of the knuckle operates in the chamber of the draw-headand is provided on its rear face or side with an extension or projection a, the upper face of which latter is inclined downwardly toward its rear end, forming an inclined surface b, on which the locking-block rides in coupling and uncouplin g. When the knuckle is open, I prefer to have the free end of the extension CL rest under the block, and as the knuckle moves to a closed position the locking-block will be elevated by the inclined face b sufficiently high to permit the tongue D2 to pass under the block. The front edge of the tongue D2 is provided with an incline c, which extends upwardly from a point adjacent to the front edge of the tongue D2. The reverse inclines b and c are separated by a plane surface d, on'which the block rides during a portion of the movement of the tongue of the knuckle and operates to prevent the hook on the pin, which will be more fully described later on, from reengaging its support during the act of coupling or uncoupling.

The draw-head B is provided in its top and bottom faces with angular openings forv the passage of the angular pin F.

its upper end with an opening ffor the attachment of a lifting lever or chain and at a pointbelow the opening with a flange g, which latter is adapted to rest on the flange g, surrounding the opening in the upper face of the head,` and limit the` downward movement of the pin. The upper section G of the pin is cut away, as at h, forming a hook h', which latter is adapted to engage the iiange g' at one side of the pin-opening for holding the pinin its elevated position. The portion G of the pin below the hook h is cut away on two adjacent sides, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. l and 6, thus reducing the diameter of the pin below the shoulder h3, which latter is formed by cutting away the two sides of the pin.

The reduced portion Gr of the pin F is adapted to receive the block I, which latter rests and moves within the throat of the coupling-head. The block I is secured on the pin by a key l', which latter holds the block solidly against the shoulder h3 and absolutely prevents any independent movement of theA block on the pin, and as the pin is angularin cross-section and the pin-holes in the coupling-head of the same shape it follows that the block has no movement whatever independently of the pin.

The locking-pin F closely fits the pin-hole in the coupling-head; but when the pin is raised, as will be hereinafter described, to its This pin is .angular in cross-section and is provided at highest position the portion h thereof, cut

away to form the hook h', `rests in line with the top wall of the coupling-head, and thus 4permits the pin to move laterally, so as t0 bring the hook 7L over the side flange g', and when in this position the pin holds the block in its elevated position to permit the unrestricted forward movement of the tongue D2A of theknuckle D.

The block I is approximately rectangular in cross-section, its longest diameter being from front to rear. This block rests in a' seat or guideway formed in the coupling-head, and in addition to being guided in its vertical movements by the inner side walls of the head it is provided on its rear side with a projecting rib t', which latter bears against a :shoul- IOO der z" within the throat of the coupling-head and assists in preventing lateral movement of the block. The base of the throat of the draw-head is also provided with a seat, (clearly shown in Fig. 2,) which latter receives the lowerend of the block and sustains and supports same when the pressure of the tongue of the knuckle is against the block, as it is when the coupling is in its locked position. The front face of the block is cut away at its lower front and inner edge to form shoulders J and J which are preferably somewhat rounded and inclined, against which the rear end of the tongue makes contact when the knuckle is turned from its open or unlocked position to a closed or locked position, and vice versa. The end of projection c may be of such length that it never passes completely from under the inclined surface. Hence when the knuckle is open the block rests upon the end c' of the knuckle, and as the inclined face b of the projection on the tongue of the knuckle is in contact with the shoulder J of the block it follows that a closing movement of the knuckle operates to elevate the block and pin carried thereby suffi-V ciently high for the tongue of the knuckle to pass thereunder, and after they have passed the'block falls to its closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, in front of the knuckle and locks -the knuckle securely in position.

The tongue is provided on its edge with a rib K, which latter when the knuckle is in its closed position alines with a groove K in the block I.. Hence when the block falls to lock the knuckle this rib enters the groove in the block andoperates as a s top against outward movelnent of the knuckle in the event the pivot-pin should break, or, in other words, it holds the knuckle against displacement irrespective of the pivot-pin.

To open theknuckle, the locking-pin is first elevated, and if it is desired to hold it elevated, as is frequently the case while shifting cars, it can be tilted so as to bring the hook h over the flange g', as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This holds the pin and lblock elevated and leaves the knuckle free to open as soon as the car which is pushing same slacks its speed. While the blockis in its elevated position, the lower face of the cut-away portion of the block rests on and in advance of the forward incline c of the tongue. Hence as the tongue moves forwardly under the block the incline c engages the shoulder J of the block, lifts and tilts the same and the coupling-pin carried thereby,and carries the hook from off the Hange g', thus leaving the pin and block free to fall. As the tongue moves forwardly the block descends and, as

i before stated, rests on the rear inclined end b of the tongue. In coupling the cars the block is elevated by the movement of the inclined tongue b under the same, and the instant the front of the tongue passes the block the latter falls and locks the knuckle in its closed position.

flange on the head, the engagement of the I rear incline b on the rear extension of the tongue of the knuckle will by its engagement with the shoulder J on the block tilt the pin and block, thus disengaging the hook and permitting the block to fall in front of the tongue.

The block is provided with the rib t', before referred to, and also with the rib 2. These ribs are located on opposite sides of the pinhole in the block and are adapted when the block is in its lowest position to pass through slots in the lower face of the coupling. A key passed through a slot inthe pin and bearing against these ribs locks the block solidly on the pin.

From the foregoing it will be seen that if the knuckle be open and the locking-block down the inward movement of the knuckle elevates the block, and after the knuckle has reached its closed position the block falls and locks it solidly in place. To release the knuckle, the pin and block are elevated, and if it be desired to hold the block elevated, as is frequently the case vin making flying switches, the outward or opening movement of the tongue of the knuckle operates to release the block and allow same to fall behind the tongue ready to be elevated by the inward movement of the tongue on the knuckle. If, on the other hand, the block be elevated while the knuckle is open, the tongue of the latter will, as before described, while moving to a closed position trip the block, thus causing same to fall in front of the tongue and lock the knuckle.

It is evident that changes in the construction and relative arrangement of the several parts might be made without avoiding my invention, and hence I would have it understood that I do not restrict myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts shown and described; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a car-coupling of the vertical-plane type, the combination with a head and a knuckle the tongue of the latter having a vertical face adapted tol engage the locking block and reverse inclines on its upper surface,of a vertically-slidin g locking-block having an undercut portion adapted to be en- IIO gaged by the inclines on the tongue whereby the block is elevated by engagement with one incline and adapted when supported in an elevated position to be released by the other incline.

2. In a car-coupling of the vertical-plane type, the combination with a head and a knuckle, the latter provided with reverse inclines on its tongue, of a vertically-sliding block suitably supported within the head and provided on its lower inner edge with a shoulder, the saidlocking-block adapted to be elevated by the engagement of one inclined surface on the tongue with the shoulder on the block and adapted when supported in an elevated position to be tripped by the other in oline on the tongue.

3. A knuckle for car-couplings having a tongue provided on its upper free end with reverse inclnes and a smooth ilat surface between and connecting the inclines. l

4. In a car-coupling of the vertical-plan type, the combination with a head and a knuckle the latterprovided with an incline on its rear end, of a locking-pin carrying a locking-block and having a bearing in the upper and lower faces of the head, the block having a shoulder at its front inner edge, the said shoulder adapted to be engaged by the incline on the knuckle for elevating the block, and means for temporarily holding the pin and block elevated in a position to be engaged and released by the knuckle passing under same.

5. In a car-coupling of the vertical-plane type, the combination with a head and a knuckle the latter having a tongue with a cam-shaped end, of a locking-pin having bearings in the upper and lower faces of the head, a locking-block removably secured on said pin, and a key secured to the pin belowr the block.

6. In a car-coupling the combination with a head and aknuckle,the latter having a tongue with reverse inclines thereon and a plane su rface between the inclines, of a vertically-sliding locking-pin, a block carried by said pin and cut away at its lower inner edge, and means for securingl said block to the pin.

7. In a car-coupling, the combination with al coupling-head and knuckle, the tongue of the latter being provided on its rear side edge with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined surface, of a pin constructed to have a tilting movement transversely to the draw-head, and provided with a hook adapted when the pin is raised to engage the upper Wall of the draw-head and to be upheld thereby, and a block carried by the pin, said block being provided With an inclined shoulder which is engaged by the knuckle when swung into its closed position, whereby the pin when in its raised position is elevated and tilted into a position to drop and lock the knuckle when the latter is swung into its closed position, substantially as set forth.

8. In a car-coupling, the combination with a coupling-head and knuckle the tongue of the latter being provided on its front side edge with an inclined surface, of a pin constructed to have a tilting movement transversely to the d raw-head and provided with a hook adapted when the pin is raised to hook over a raised projection on the upper wall of the draw-head and to be upheld thereby, and a block carried by the pin, said block being provided with an inclined shoulder which is engaged by the knucklewhen swung fromits closedtoits open position, whereby the pin when in its raised position is elevated and tilted into a position to drop, when the knuckle is Vswung into its open position, substantially as set forth.

9. In a car-coupling the combination with a draw-head and knuckle, the tongue of which is provided with a vertical lip or rib, of a locke ing pin and block carried thereby, the block being provided with a vertical groove within which the lip on the tongue interlocks when the knuckle is in its closed and locked position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence ot two subscrib ing witnesses.

.I AMES TIMMS.

Witnesses:

A. W. BRIGHT, S. G. NOTTINGHAM. 

